Mudgee travel to play Dubbo Amaroo in the third round of the state-wide competition on Sunday and there are one or two factors working in Mudgee’s favour.

Dubbo’s top representative side is hosting Orange in the SCG Country Cup on the same day, potentially seeing an understrength Dubbo Amaroo side to play Mudgee.

“I think we’re fortunate that both Dubbo teams are playing this weekend. I think we’ll definitely give ourselves an opportunity to win. From what I know it’s at Lady Cutler Oval, the same venue as last weekend [for the Western Zone trial]. A few of us have played cricket there before so we know it’s a flattish or typically flat wicket,” Lindsay said on Wednesday.

The former Dubbo and Sydney first grade cricketer has been hard at work behind the scenes during Mudgee’s representative training, trying to lift the side’s performances.

“It’s been good so far. I had a few contacts before the season to go over to Dubbo but I think it’s better for cricket and for me to concentrate on trying to build Mudgee cricket up. I’ve got nothing to prove to go back over to Dubbo. I think I’ve done everything I could do in Dubbo before I left,” Lindsay said.

“I think it’s good to try and bring Mudgee up to the standard it was probably many years ago. We’ve got the people who can do that. I enjoy being back and playing cricket with Steve Knight. We’ve been mates for 16 or 17 years now and started playing Western Zone together as 15-year-olds.”

Mudgee is welcoming back off-spinner and handy batsman Andrew Ling who replaces Nick Chapman in the 12-man squad.

Ling has recorded 10 wickets in his past two games for Paragon Hotel in the Mudgee competition and made a valiant 58 in a losing side against competition leaders Lawson Park Hotel last Saturday.

Mitchell representative James O’Brien also makes his comeback after injury saw him miss the President’s Cup game against Orange.

Lindsay said it was pleasing to be selected for Western.

“I guess I did fairly well. All their [Combined Valleys] bowlers took wickets so it’s hard to see yourself forcing your way in but it’s nice to have your name read out on Saturday evening,” he said.

“It’s been a while since I’ve played with a few of them as well. It’s a talented squad that’s for sure. With Combined Valleys winning the day there was going to be a lot of those guys selected.”  

Lindsay played seven years of first grade in Dubbo before moving to Sydney then Mudgee.

“I was fortunate enough to be part of a club in Dubbo that won its first Whitney Cup after 17 grand finals before that. More so a highlight was winning the second year which repaid a lot of the guys who had put the time and effort in for some big people in Dubbo cricket,” Lindsay said.

“I moved from Dubbo to Sydney and played cricket with the University of NSW. A lot of first and second grade down there. There’s a lot of experience down there where you run into some international players and it was the whole box and dice.”

MUDGEE: Jacob Edmonds (c), Cameron Cox, Michael Ford, Will Lindsay, Steve Knight, James O’Brien, Troy Kenny, Mark Bennie, Andrew Ling, James Ford, Hayden Cox, Tom Lawson.